Not ideology, poverty responsible for Naxalism: BJP leader

Senior BJP leader and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar Thursday said that poverty, illiteracy and unemployment were behind the rise in Naxalism in the country and held the UPA's policy responsible for it.

"More than 95 percent Maoists exist because of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment and not because of the ideology of Maoism," said the BJP leader at a function here.

"The report of a 15-member committee on Naxal-effected areas has revealed the truth," he added.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader, who is also the head of parliament's Standing Committee on Commerce, said the United Progressive Alliance's food security bill was rather a "vote security bill" for the next parliamentary elections and that people understand this.

Shabta Kumar added that due to lack of a proper distribution system, the new bill would boost corruption rather then help people. "The mid-day meal with Rs.12,000 crore yearly budget has failed to produce the desired results," he said.

He also alleged that the UPA's polices were pro-rich and anti-poor and termed the Manmohan Singh-led government at the centre as the "most corrupt and inefficient" in the history of independent India.